Semiconductor device, measurement apparatus, and measurement method of relative permittivity

ABSTRACT

The field of an oxide semiconductor has been attracted attention in recent years. Therefore, the correlation between electric characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer and physical properties of the oxide semiconductor layer has not been clear yet. Thus, a first object is to improve electric characteristics of the transistor by control of physical properties of the oxide semiconductor layer. A semiconductor device including at least a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer sandwiched between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer, where the oxide semiconductor layer has the relative permittivity of equal to or higher than 13 (or equal to or higher than 14), is provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to an oxide semiconductor, a novel MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus), and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

In Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-patent Document 2, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is disclosed.

REFERENCE Non-Patent Document

[Non-Patent Document 1] T. C. Fung et. al., AM-FPD '08 Digest of Technical Papers

[Non-Patent Document 2] M. Fujii et. al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 48, 2009, C4C091

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The field of an oxide semiconductor has been attracted attention in recent years.

Therefore, the correlation between electric characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer and physical properties of the oxide semiconductor layer has not been clear yet.

Thus, a first object is to improve electric characteristics of the transistor by control of physical properties of the oxide semiconductor layer.

A second object is to provide a novel structural body and a novel measurement method used for measuring the physical properties of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Note that the invention to be disclosed below achieves at least one of the first object and the second object.

First, the first object will be described.

The present inventors pay attention to relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer.

The on current of a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor is proportional to the charge density Q of carries induced at an oxide-semiconductor interface (an interface between an oxide film (a gate insulating layer) and a semiconductor layer).

Note that the charge density Q is represented by the following formula.

Q=C _(ox)(V _(gs) −V _(th)−φ)   (1)

In the formula, C_(ox) indicates the capacitance of an insulating film per unit area; V_(gs), the difference between potential applied to a gate electrode and potential applied to a source electrode; V_(th), the threshold voltage; and Ψ, the surface potential.

Further, the surface potential Ψ is represented by the following formula.

$\begin{matrix} \left\lbrack {{FORMULA}\mspace{14mu} 2} \right\rbrack & \; \\ {\varphi = {e \times N_{d} \times \frac{W_{d}^{2}}{2ɛ_{0}ɛ}}} & (2) \end{matrix}$

In the formula, e indicates the electron charge; N_(d), the space charge density; W_(d), the width of a depletion layer; ε₀, the vacuum permittivity; and ε, the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor.

From Formula 2, it is found that the surface potential Ψ becomes small as relative permittivity ε increases.

In addition, it is found from Formula 1 that the charge density Q of carriers induced at the oxide-semiconductor interface becomes increased as the surface potential Ψ decreases.

That is, a decrease in the surface potential Ψ brings an increase in on current of the transistor.

The above consideration suggested that on current of the transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used for an active layer can be increased by making relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor higher.

That is, it is preferable that the oxide semiconductor layer serving as an active layer have high relative permittivity in order to obtain a transistor with high on current or high drive force.

Then, an oxide semiconductor layer having higher relative permittivity than those described in Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2 (i.e., an oxide semiconductor layer whose relative permittivity is 13 or more) was achieved. Note that Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor is 10, and Non-Patent Document 2 discloses that the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor is 12.

As described above, a novel oxide semiconductor layer with higher relative permittivity than the conventional one was manufactured.

Thus, with use of the novel oxide semiconductor layer with higher relative permittivity than the conventional one, a transistor with high on current or high drive force can be manufactured.

In the oxide semiconductor layer, the relative permittivity is likely to be increased as the carrier density becomes small.

That is, by reducing the carrier density in the oxide semiconductor layer, the relative permittivity can be increased.

Note that the factor of generation of carriers includes an oxygen vacancy, a donor, an acceptor, and the like.

Further, it is revealed that a substance including a hydrogen atom functions as a donor, from the experimental result and the consideration thereof conducted by the present inventors. Note that the term a “substance including a hydrogen atom” includes hydrogen, water, hydroxide, hydride, and the like.

Next, the second object will be described.

A method for measuring relative permittivity is conducted using a structure illustrated in FIG. 4B where an oxide semiconductor layer 1102 (Oxide Semiconductor) is sandwiched between a first electrode 1101 (1^(st) metal) and a second electrode 1103 (2^(nd) metal). The AC voltage is applied to the first electrode 1101 (1^(st) metal) and the second electrode 1103 (2^(nd) metal), and capacitance of the oxide semiconductor layer 1102 serving as a dielectric is measured. Then, the relative permittivity may be calculated using the measured capacitance value of the oxide semiconductor layer 1102.

However, although the structural body illustrated in FIG. 4B was formed and the AC voltage was applied thereto in practice, the capacitance could not be measured with use of the structural body of FIG. 4B.

The reason why the capacitance could not be measured was considered due to the ohmic contact was formed between the electrodes and the oxide semiconductor layer and carriers were injected to the oxide semiconductor layer, which prevented accumulation of charges in the electrodes.

As described above, it is difficult to measure the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer which is a semi-insulating layer with use of the general measurement method. Note that there are no description about the measurement method of relative permittivity in Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2.

Thus, a novel structural body used for measurement of relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer was manufactured.

Specifically, a MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) with a structural body illustrated in FIG. 4A was manufactured. In the MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus), an oxide semiconductor layer 1002 (Oxide Semiconductor) is provided over a silicon wafer 1001 (Silicon Wafer) and a gate electrode layer 1003 (Gate Electrode) is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 (Oxide Semiconductor).

The MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) is used for a measurement of relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Then, the saturation capacitance C_(a) in an accumulation state of the MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) is measured, and the measured saturation capacitance C_(a) in an accumulation state is substituted into the following formula, whereby the relative permittivity can be calculated.

$\begin{matrix} \left\lbrack {{FORMULA}\mspace{14mu} 3} \right\rbrack & \; \\ {ɛ = {C_{a}\frac{1}{ɛ_{0}}\frac{d}{S}}} & (4) \end{matrix}$

Thus, a semiconductor device including a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer sandwiched between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer can be provided. In the semiconductor device, the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or higher than 13.

Further, a semiconductor device including a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer sandwiched between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer can be provided. In the semiconductor device, the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or higher than 14.

The oxide semiconductor layer can contain indium, gallium, zinc, and oxygen as its main component.

Further, a measurement apparatus including a semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor, and a gate electrode provided over the oxide semiconductor layer can be manufactured. In the measurement apparatus, the band gap of the semiconductor is smaller than the band gap of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Further, a measurement apparatus which is used for measuring a relative permittivity of an oxide semiconductor layer and includes a semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor, and a gate electrode provided over the oxide semiconductor layer can be provided. In the measurement apparatus, the band gap of the semiconductor is smaller than the band gap of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Further, a method for measuring a relative permittivity including the steps of: forming a measurement apparatus including a semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor, and a gate electrode provided over the oxide semiconductor layer, the oxide semiconductor layer having a wider band gap than the semiconductor; calculating a capacitance C_(a) in an accumulation region of C-V characteristics of the measurement apparatus; and calculating a relative permittivity ε of the oxide semiconductor layer by substituting the capacitance C_(a) into the following formula can be provided. In the formula, ε₀ is a vacuum permittivity, S is an area of the gate electrode, and d is a thickness of the oxide semiconductor layer.

$\begin{matrix} \left\lbrack {{FORMULA}\mspace{14mu} 4} \right\rbrack & \; \\ {ɛ = {C_{a}\frac{1}{ɛ_{0}}\frac{d}{S}}} & (4) \end{matrix}$

By increasing the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer serving as an active layer of a transistor, the on current or drive force of the transistor can be increased. (the first object)

With use of a structural body as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the relative permittivity of an oxide semiconductor which is a semi-insulating layer can be calculated. (the second object)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1C illustrate an example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate examples of semiconductor devices.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate examples of MOS capacitors (measurement apparatuses).

FIG. 5 shows an example of a C-V measurement result.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is easily understood by those skilled in the art that modes and details thereof can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to what is described in the embodiments described below.

In the structures to be given below, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals in different drawings, and explanation thereof will not be repeated.

The following embodiments can be combined with each other, as appropriate.

Embodiment 1

An example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device will be described.

First, a gate electrode 200 is formed over a substrate 100 having an insulating surface, a gate insulating layer 300 is formed over the gate electrode 200, and an oxide semiconductor layer 400 is formed over the gate insulating layer 300 (FIG. 1A).

A material of a substrate is not limited. For example, a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, a metal substrate, a plastic substrate, a semiconductor substrate, or the like can be used.

In the case where an insulating substrate is used as the substrate, the substrate has an insulating surface.

On the other hand, in the case where a metal substrate, a semiconductor substrate, or the like is used as the substrate, the substrate can have an insulating surface when a base insulating layer is formed on the substrate.

Note that a base insulating layer may be formed over the substrate also in the case where an insulating substrate is used as the substrate.

The gate electrode is formed using a conductive material. For example, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, copper, doped silicon, a variety of alloys, an oxide conductive layer (typically, indium tin oxide or the like), or the like can be used, but the conductive layer is not limited to these examples. The gate electrode may have a single-layer structure or a stacked structure.

The gate insulating layer is formed using an insulating material. For example, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxide film including nitrogen, a silicon nitride film including oxygen, an aluminum nitride film, an aluminum oxide film, a film obtained by oxidizing or nitriding a semiconductor layer, a film obtained by oxidizing or nitriding a semiconductor substrate, a hafnium oxide film, or the like can be used, but the insulating layer is not limited to these examples. The gate insulating layer may have a single-layer structure or a stacked structure.

In order to prevent carriers from being injected to the oxide semiconductor layer, a layer which contains hydrogen as little as possible is preferably used for the gate insulating layer.

The preferred gate insulating layer which contains hydrogen as little as possible is a gate insulating film formed using a formation gas which does not contain hydrogen (H) or hydride (SiH₄ or the like).

In terms of a small amount of hydrogen, a sputtering method is preferable to a plasma CVD method for formation of the gate insulating layer because a plasma CVD method uses hydride (SiH₄ or the like).

However, a gate insulating layer formed by a plasma CVD method has fewer defects and superior film quality than/to a gate insulating layer formed by a sputtering method. That is, in some cases, a transistor including a gate insulating layer formed by a plasma CVD method has higher properties than that including a gate insulating layer formed by a sputtering method; accordingly, a plasma CVD method and a sputtering method may be used as appropriate depending on need. Note that in the case of using a gate insulating layer formed by a plasma CVD method, a substance including a hydrogen atom is discharged by performance of heat treatment. Thus, when a plasma CVD method is employed, heat treatment (equal to or higher than 200° C. and equal to or lower than 1000° C. (preferably, equal to or higher than 300° C. and equal to or lower than 800° C.)) is preferably performed after formation of the gate insulating layer.

Note that a substance including a hydrogen atom includes hydrogen, water, hydroxide, hydride, and the like.

As the oxide semiconductor layer, the following oxide semiconductors can be used, but not limited to: In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide (containing indium, gallium, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); In—Sn—Zn—O-based oxide (containing indium, tin, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); In—Al—Zn—O-based oxide (containing indium, aluminum, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); Sn—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide (containing tin, gallium, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); Al—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide (containing aluminum, gallium, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); Sn—Al—Zn—O-based oxide (containing tin, aluminum, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); In—Zn—O-based oxide (containing indium, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); Sn—Zn—O-based oxide (containing tin, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); Al—Zn—O-based oxide (containing aluminum, zinc, and oxygen as the main components); In—O-based oxide (oxide of indium (indium oxide)); Sn—O-based oxide (oxide of tin (tin oxide)), Zn—O-based oxide (oxide of zinc (zinc oxide)); and the like.

The lower limit of the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor can be selected from equal to or higher than 13 (or higher than 13), equal to or higher than 14 (or higher than 14), equal to or higher than 14.7 (or higher than 14.7), and equal to or higher than 16.7 (or higher than 16.7).

The higher relative permittivity is preferable, and the upper limit is not necessarily provided.

If the upper limit of the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor is provided, it can be selected from equal to or lower than 16.7 (or lower than 16.7), equal to or lower than 17 (or lower than 17), equal to or lower than 18 (or lower than 18), equal to or lower than 20 (or lower than 20), equal to or lower than 25 (or lower than 25), equal to or lower than 30 (or lower than 30), equal to or lower than 40 (or lower than 40), equal to or lower than 50 (or lower than 50), equal to or lower than 60 (or lower than 60), and equal to or lower than 70 (or lower than 70).

In the case where the oxide semiconductor layer is formed by a sputtering method, a preferred sputtering target does not contain a substance including a hydrogen atom.

Further, when the oxide semiconductor layer is formed, it is preferable that leak in the deposition chamber be prevented so as not to allow entry of a substance including a hydrogen atom from the outside.

Next, the oxide semiconductor layer 400 is etched to have an island shape, so that an oxide semiconductor layer 410 is formed (FIG. 1B).

Next, first heat treatment (equal to or higher than X° C. and lower than Y° C.) of the oxide semiconductor layer is performed. Note that although the first heat treatment is not a needed step, it is preferably performed.

An atmosphere for the first heat treatment can be selected as appropriate from a nitrogen atmosphere, a rare gas atmosphere, an oxygen atmosphere, an atmosphere including oxygen and nitrogen, an atmosphere including oxygen and a rare gas, an atmosphere including nitrogen and a rare gas, an atmosphere including oxygen, nitrogen, and a rare gas, and the like.

The first heat treatment may be performed before the oxide semiconductor layer 410 is formed by etching the oxide semiconductor layer 400 into an island shape.

While the oxide semiconductor layer 400 is being etched to form an island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer 410, the oxide semiconductor layer is exposed to water from a photoresist and a resist stripper.

Thus, in order to remove water from a photoresist and a resist stripper, it is preferable that the first heat treatment be performed after the oxide semiconductor layer 410 is formed by etching the oxide semiconductor layer 400 into an island shape.

The lower limit temperature (X° C.) of the first heat treatment can be selected from equal to or higher than 350° C. (or higher than 350° C.), equal to or higher than 400° C. (or higher than 400° C.), equal to or higher than 450° C. (or higher than 450° C.), equal to or higher than 500° C. (or higher than 500° C.), equal to or higher than 550° C. (or higher than 550° C.), equal to or higher than 600° C. (or higher than 600° C.), equal to or higher than 650° C. (or higher than 650° C.), equal to or higher than 700° C. (or higher than 700° C.), and equal to or higher than 750° C. (or higher than 750° C.).

In the first heat treatment, a heating method using a furnace, an oven, gas RTA, or the like is preferably used.

Gas RTA is a method in which an object to be processed is put into a gas heated at high temperature for a short time period (several minutes to several tens minutes) to be heated rapidly.

The higher temperature is preferable for the first heat treatment; thus, the upper bound is not necessarily provided.

However, the preferred upper bound temperature (Y° C.) of the first heat treatment is lower than the upper temperature limit of the substrate.

The upper bound temperature (Y° C.) of the first heat treatment can be selected from equal to or lower than 1000° C. (or lower than 1000° C.), equal to or lower than 900 ° C. (or lower than 900° C.), equal to or lower than 800° C. (or lower than 800° C.), and equal to or lower than 700° C. (or lower than 700° C.).

The time for the first heat treatment is preferably one hour or longer. The upper limit of the time is not particularly limited; however, in terms of shortening the treatment time and suppression of crystallization, the time can be selected from equal to or shorter than 10 hours, equal to or shorter than nine hours, and equal to or shorter than eight hours.

In the case of performing gas RTA for the first heat treatment, the time is preferably three minutes or longer. The upper bound of the time is not particularly limited; however, in terms of shortening the treatment time and suppression of crystallization, the time can be selected from equal to or shorter than one hour, equal to or shorter than 50 minutes, and equal to or shorter than 40 minutes.

Note that from the experimental result, it has been found that the electric characteristics of a transistor be improved by performing baking using a furnace at 350° C. for one hour. Specifically, the off current of such a transistor was reduced more than that of a transistor which was not subjected to heat treatment.

When measurement was performed with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), a peak of water at around 300° C. was not observed in a sample which had been baked at 450° C. for one hour with use of a furnace. In also a sample which had been baked at 650° C. for three minutes with use of gas RTA, a peak of water at around 300° C. was not observed. On the other hand, in a sample which had been baked at 350° C. for one hour, a peak of water at around 300° C. was observed.

When measurement was performed with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), the hydrogen concentration in a sample which had been baked at 550° C. for one hour is approximately one digit smaller than that of a sample which had been baked at 450° C. for one hour.

An increase in heating temperature allowed electric characteristics of the transistor to be improved.

In particular, in the sample which had been subjected to heat treatment using a furnace at equal to or higher than 450° C. and the sample which had been subjected to heat treatment using gas RTA at equal to or higher than 650° C., variation in electric characteristics of the transistors were reduced.

A reduction of variation in electric characteristics of the transistor was considered to be caused by a decrease in an impurity (a substance including a hydrogen atom) which affects the transistor, in an oxide semiconductor layer.

In other words, hydrogen serves as a donor in the oxide semiconductor layer.

Therefore, the substance including a hydrogen atom affects operation of the transistor.

When a hydrogen atom or a compound including a hydrogen atom is contained in the oxide semiconductor, a carrier is generated, and the transistor becomes a normally-on transistor.

As a result, a problem of shifting the threshold voltage or operation voltage of the transistor arises.

Further, the substance including a hydrogen atom serves as a space charge in the oxide semiconductor, which decreases the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor.

Then, when the relative permittivity decreases, the on current or drive force of the transistor is reduced.

Therefore, it is preferable that the substance including a hydrogen atom in the oxide semiconductor layer be reduced as much as possible.

Note that the higher energy is applied to the oxide semiconductor, the more likely the substance including a hydrogen atom is to be discharged; accordingly, the heating temperature is preferably set to high and the heating time is preferably set to long.

However, if the energy applied to the oxide semiconductor is made excessively high, the oxide semiconductor is crystallized and the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor is reduced.

Therefore, the upper limit of the heating time and the upper bound of the heating temperature for the first heat treatment preferably employ the above-described values.

Next, a conductive layer 500 is formed over the oxide semiconductor layer 410 (FIG. 1C).

The conductive layer is formed using a conductive material. For example, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, yttrium, indium, gold, silver, copper, doped silicon, an alloy including any of the conductive materials, or an oxide conductive layer (typically, indium tin oxide and the like) can be used, but the conductive layer is not limited to these examples. The conductive layer may have a single-layer structure or a stacked structure.

Note that the conductive layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer is formed using titanium, indium, yttrium, an alloy of indium and zinc, a gallium alloy (such as gallium nitride), or the like, whereby contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and an electrode (wiring) formed by etching the conductive layer can be reduced.

The reason why contact resistance can be reduced is that the electron affinity of titanium, indium, yttrium, an alloy of indium and zinc, a gallium alloy (such as gallium nitride), and the like is lower than the electron affinity of the oxide semiconductor layer.

That is, in the case where the conductive layer is the single layer, the conductive layer is preferably formed using a metal (or an alloy or a compound) having lower electron affinity than the oxide semiconductor layer.

On the other hand, in the case where the conductive layer has a stacked structure, a metal (or an alloy or a compound) having lower electron affinity than the oxide semiconductor layer is preferably provided to be in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer.

A material such as titanium (Ti), indium (In), yttrium (Y), an ally of indium (In) and zinc (Zn), a gallium (Ga) alloy (such as gallium nitride), and the like has high resistivity. A material such as aluminum (Al), gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), a variety of alloys, and the like has low resistivity. Thus, such a high-resistivity material is preferably stacked over the conductive layer in which such a low-resistivity material is provided to be in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer.

Specifically, there are a variety of structures such as a structure in which Ti and Al are stacked in this order, a structure in which Ti and an Al alloy are stacked in this order, a structure in which Y and Al are stacked in this order, a structure in which Y and an Al alloy are stacked in this order, a structure in which Ti, Al, and Ti are stacked in this order, a structure in which Ti, an Al alloy, and Ti are stacked in this order, a structure in which In, Al, and Mo are stacked in this order, a structure in which Y, Al, and Ti are stacked in this order, a structure in which Mo, Al, and Ti are stacked in this order, and a structure in which Ti, an Al alloy, Mo, and Ti are stacked in this order; the structure of the conductive layer is not limited to the above structures. That is, the number of layers in the conductive layer is not limited, and the combination of the conductive layers is not limited. Thus, the combination which is not cited here may be described in claims.

Note that an alloy having low resistivity indicates an alloy of any one of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, and the like and another substance. For example, an alloy of Al and Si, an alloy of Al and Ti, an alloy of Al and Nd, an alloy of Cu, Pb, and Fe, an alloy of Cu and Ni, and the like can be given.

Note that in the case of using an oxide conductive layer as the conductive layer, a material similar to that of the oxide semiconductor layer can be used.

The oxide conductive layer may have lower resistivity than the oxide semiconductor layer used in a channel formation region.

Here, the oxide conductive layer is an oxide in which many substances including a hydrogen atom or oxygen vacancies are intentionally contained. The substance including a hydrogen atom or oxygen vacancy induces a carrier, which can increase conductivity of the oxide.

In contrast, the oxide semiconductor layer is an oxide in which a substance including a hydrogen atom or oxygen vacancy is not intentionally contained.

That is, resistivity can be controlled by adjusting the amount of substances including a hydrogen atom or the level of oxygen vacancies.

If the oxide conductive layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor which is different from and has lower resistivity than the oxide semiconductor used in the channel formation region, it is unnecessary to control resistivity by adjusting the amount of substances including a hydrogen atom and the level of oxygen vacancies.

Next, the conductive layer 500 is etched, so that a plurality of electrodes or wirings (a source electrode (contact electrode), a drain electrode (contact electrode), a wiring, and the like) are formed (FIG. 2A). In FIG. 2A, a contact electrode 510, a contact electrode 520, and the like are illustrated.

At the stage of the step illustrated in FIG. 2A, a transistor (a channel-etch transistor) is completed.

Note that a portion of an oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by a dashed line in FIGS. 2A and 2B is slightly etched when the conductive layer 500 is etched.

If a (fixed) charge exists in the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line, this region also serves as a channel in some cases. In that case, this region is called a back channel.

For example, since hydrogen serves as a donor in the oxide semiconductor, when hydrogen is contained in the oxide semiconductor region 8000, resistance is reduced and a back channel is formed.

Next, an insulating layer 600 (a protective film or an interlayer insulating film) which covers the transistor is formed (FIG. 2B).

The insulating layer is formed using an insulating material. For example, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxide film including nitrogen, a silicon nitride film including oxygen, an aluminum nitride film, an aluminum oxide film, a siloxane film, an acrylic film, a polyimide film, and the like can be used, but the insulating layer is not limited to the above examples. The interlayer insulating film may have a single-layer structure or a stacked structure.

Here, electric characteristics of the transistor were compared on the condition that the kind of a film of the insulating layer 600 was changed. As a result, it was found that the transistor can have higher electric characteristics in the case where hydrogen was not contained in the insulating layer which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line.

In order words, an insulating layer formed by a sputtering method is much preferable for the insulating layer 600.

When the substance including a hydrogen atom is contained in the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line, the threshold voltage of the transistor (V_(th)) is shifted in the negative direction.

That is, when the substance including a hydrogen atom is contained in the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line, the transistor becomes a normally-on transistor and the operation voltage of the transistor is shifted.

In particular, in the case where an insulating layer is formed by a plasma CVD method, a substance including a hydrogen atom (typically, SiH₄ or the like) is used;

accordingly, the substance including a hydrogen atom is added to the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line.

Further, in the case of forming a siloxane film, an acrylic film, a polyimide film, or the like which contains a large amount of water, the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line is constantly supplied with the substance including a hydrogen atom.

Thus, it is preferable that a layer which contains few substances including a hydrogen atom be used for the insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line, so as to prevent a back channel to be formed.

Note that the step illustrated in FIG. 2B can be regarded as a step in which the insulating layer 600 is formed over the contact electrode 510, the contact electrode 520, and the back channel (the portion of the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line).

A contact hole may be formed in the insulating layer 600 and a pixel electrode may be formed over the insulating layer 600. After formation of the pixel electrode, a display element (such as an EL element or a liquid crystal element) is formed, so that a display device can be formed.

A contact hole may be formed in the insulating layer 600, and a wiring may be formed over the insulating layer 600.

After the wiring is formed over the insulating layer 600, an insulating layer, a wiring, a transistor, a display element, an antenna, or the like may be formed over the wiring.

Further, after the insulating layer 600 is formed, second heat treatment is preferably performed at equal to or higher than 100° C. and equal to or lower than 300° C. (preferably, equal to or higher than 200° C. and equal to or lower than 250° C.). Note that although the second heat treatment is not a needed step, it is preferable to be performed.

The preferable heating time is equal to or longer than one hour and equal to or shorter than 10 hours.

The second heat treatment may be performed immediately after formation of the insulating layer 600, immediately after formation of the wiring, or immediately after formation of the pixel electrode. That is, the second heat treatment may be performed at any time after the insulating layer 600 is formed.

Note that, when the second heat treatment is performed, the insulating layer 600 is made in an oxygen-excess state, whereby oxygen is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer and oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor layer are reduced. That is, since the oxygen vacancies serving as a donor are reduced, the back channel is unlikely to be formed.

As examples of a method for forming an oxygen-excess insulating layer, the following methods can be used: a method in which oxygen flow is increased in a reactive sputtering with use of a nonoxide target (such as silicon or aluminum) as a sputtering target and oxygen as a sputtering gas; a method in which an oxide target (such as silicon oxide or aluminum oxide) is used as a sputtering target and oxygen is used as a sputtering gas (generally, oxygen is unnecessary in the case of using an oxide target); and a method in which oxygen is introduced into an insulating layer by ion injection or ion doping after the insulating layer is formed. However, the method is not limited to the above examples. Note that in the case of performing reactive sputtering, a gas such as argon is not used but a 100% oxygen gas is used as a sputtering gas, which is preferable.

Note that from the experiment, it was revealed that in the case of performing heat treatment after an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film had been formed by a sputtering method as the insulating layer 600, electric characteristics of the transistor were improved more than those of the transistor before the heat treatment.

Further, from the experiment, it was found that even in the case where the insulating layer 600 was an insulating layer other than an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film formed by a sputtering method, electric characteristics of the transistor were improved by performance of heat treatment as compared to those of the transistor which was not subjected to heat treatment.

That is, the electric characteristics of the transistor are improved by performance of the second heat treatment even in the case where an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film formed by a sputtering method is not used as the insulating layer 600. The above improvement is caused by not the effect of supply of oxygen into the oxide semiconductor layer but a reduction in the substance including a hydrogen atom (particularly, water or hydrogen) in the insulating layer by the second heat treatment.

Part of or all the contents described in this embodiment can be combined with other embodiments.

Embodiment 2

In this embodiment, a semiconductor device including a transistor with a structure different from that in Embodiment 1 will be described.

Note that for layers of the transistor, materials and the like which are similar to those described in Embodiment 1 can be used.

A transistor illustrated in FIG. 3A is a bottom-gate bottom-contact (BGBC) transistor, which includes the gate electrode 200 provided over the substrate 100 having an insulating surface, the gate insulating layer 300 provided over the gate electrode 200, the contact electrode 510 and the contact electrode 520 provided over the gate insulating layer 300, and the oxide semiconductor layer 410 (having an island shape) provided over the gate insulating layer 300, the contact electrode 510, and the contact electrode 520.

Note that the insulating layer 600 which covers the transistor is provided.

Further, in some cases, a back channel is formed in the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line.

A transistor illustrated in FIG. 3B is a top-gate transistor, which includes the oxide semiconductor layer 410 (having an island shape) provided over the substrate 100 having an insulating surface, the gate insulating layer 300 provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 410, and the gate electrode 200 provided over the gate insulating layer 300.

Note that the insulating layer 600 which covers the transistor is provided, and through contact holes provided in the insulating layer 600, a wiring 810, a wiring 820, and a wiring 830 are provided.

A transistor illustrated in FIG. 3C is a channel-stop transistor, which includes the gate electrode 200 provided over the substrate 100 having an insulating surface, the gate insulating layer 300 provided over the gate electrode 200, the oxide semiconductor layer 410 (having an island shape) provided over the gate insulating layer 300, a channel protective layer 700 provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 410, and the contact electrode 510 and the contact electrode 520 provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 410 and the channel protective layer 700.

Note that the insulating layer 600 which covers the transistor is provided.

Further, a back channel is formed in the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line in some cases.

Here, as a material of the channel protective layer 700, a material similar to the material of the insulating layer 600 described in Embodiment 1 can be used. The material of the channel protective layer 700 and the material of the insulating layer 600 can be the same or different from each other.

Further, in the channel-stop transistor, not the insulating layer 600 but the channel protective layer 700 is in contact with the region where a back channel is formed. That is, the channel protective layer 700 is in contact with the oxide semiconductor region 8000 surrounded by the dashed line.

Therefore, a layer which contains few substances including a hydrogen atom is preferably used for the channel protective layer 700.

As described above, the transistor may have any structure.

That is, the transistor may have any structure as long as it includes at least a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer sandwiched between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer.

Thus, a structure of a transistor of the invention disclosed is not limited to the structures described in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2.

Part of or all the contents described in this embodiment can be combined with other embodiments.

Embodiment 3

A novel method for calculating the relative permittivity ε of an oxide semiconductor layer with use of C-V characteristics will be described.

First, the MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) illustrated in FIG. 4A is formed.

The MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) illustrated in FIG. 4A is a novel one.

As illustrate in FIG. 4A, the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 (Oxide Semiconductor) is provided over the silicon wafer 1001 (Silicon Wafer), and the gate electrode layer 1003 (Gate Electrode) is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 (Oxide Semiconductor). Note that the silicon wafer 1001 may be n-type or p-type.

Note that a rear electrode layer may be formed below the silicon wafer 1001.

Materials of the gate electrode layer and the rear electrode layer can be conductive materials.

The band gap of the oxide semiconductor is wider than that of silicon.

Therefore, there is a potential barrier between the conduction band of the oxide semiconductor and the conduction band of silicon. Similarly, there is a potential barrier between the valence band of the oxide semiconductor and the valence band of silicon.

Since such potential barriers exist at an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 and the silicon wafer 1001, injection of carriers from the gate electrode layer 1003 or the silicon wafer 1001 into the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 can be suppressed. As a result, C-V characteristics can be obtained in the structure illustrated in FIG. 4A.

Thus, instead of the silicon wafer 1001, a semiconductor having a smaller band gap than the oxide semiconductor layer 1002 may be used.

As a semiconductor having a small band gap, silicon (about 1.12 eV), germanium (about 0.67 eV), gallium arsenide (about 1.43 eV), or the like can be used. Note that the band gap of the oxide semiconductor layer (e.g., an In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide semiconductor layer) is about 3 to 3.7 eV.

The semiconductor may have either a wafer shape (substrate shape) or a film shape.

Note that the relative permittivity of wide-band-gap semiconductors other than the oxide semiconductor can be measured. The wide-band-gap semiconductors include silicon carbide (about 3 eV), gallium nitride (about 3.4 eV), aluminum nitride (5.9 eV), diamond (5.27 eV), and the like. In this case, a semiconductor whose relative permittivity is to be measured may be replaced with the oxide semiconductor layer in FIG. 4A.

That is, with use of the structure in FIG. 4A, the relative permittivity of a semiconductor whose band gap is 2.5 eV (or 3 eV or more) can be measured.

FIG. 5 shows C-V characteristics in the case of using a p-type silicon wafer. Here, in an inversion state (inversion region, where V_(g) is positive), the capacitance is the sum of the depletion layer capacitance of the p-type silicon wafer and the capacitance of the oxide semiconductor layer.

On the other hand, in an accumulation state (accumulation region, where V_(g) is negative), an inversion layer is not formed; thus, the capacitance is equal to the capacitance of the oxide semiconductor layer and is saturated.

Then, the saturation capacitance C_(a) in an accumulation state can be obtained by the mathematical formula (13), where ε₀ is the vacuum permittivity, d is the thickness of the oxide semiconductor layer, and S is the area of the gate electrode.

$\begin{matrix} \left\lbrack {{FORMULA}\mspace{14mu} 5} \right\rbrack & \; \\ {C_{a} = {ɛ_{0}ɛ\frac{S}{d}}} & (3) \end{matrix}$

By modifying the mathematical formula (3), the mathematical formula (4) can be obtained.

$\begin{matrix} \left\lbrack {{FORMULA}\mspace{14mu} 6} \right\rbrack & \; \\ {ɛ = {C_{a}\frac{1}{ɛ_{0}}\frac{d}{S}}} & (4) \end{matrix}$

The thickness d of the oxide semiconductor layer and the area S of the gate electrode are designed values set at the time of manufacturing the MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus).

Note that as the vacuum permittivity ε₀, the value (8.85418782×10 ⁻¹² m⁻³kg⁻¹s⁴A²) may be used.

By manufacturing a MOS capacitor (measurement apparatus) having a special structure as illustrated in FIG. 4A in the above manner, the relative permittivity can be calculated using the mathematical formula (4).

Part of or all the contents described in this embodiment can be combined with other embodiments.

Example 1

The structure of FIG. 4A was formed and the CV measurement of the oxide semiconductor layer was performed, whereby the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer was calculated.

First, a 300-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide semiconductor layer was formed over a p-type silicon wafer. Next, a silver electrode with a thickness of 300 nm was formed over the oxide semiconductor layer (FIG. 4A).

As the deposition condition of the oxide semiconductor layer, an In—Ga—Zn—O-based target whose molar ratio of In:Ga:Zn was 1:1:1 (In₂O₃:Ga₂O₃:ZnO=1:1:2 (molar ratio)) was used, the power was 0.5 kW, the pressure was 0.4 Pa, the gas flow ratio satisfied the relation of Ar/O₂=35/10 sccm, and the substrate temperature was room temperature.

Then, two structural bodies of FIG. 4A formed in the above manner were prepared (Sample 1 and Sample 2).

Sample 1 was subjected to heat treatment in an air atmosphere at 350° C. for one hour.

Sample 2 was subjected to heat treatment in an air atmosphere at 450° C. for one hour.

Note that in the case of using silicon (as a semiconductor), it is preferable to select a heating condition so that silicon is prevented to be oxidized at the interface between silicon and oxide semiconductor.

Then, relative permittivity of each sample was calculated with the method described in Embodiment 3.

As a result, the relative permittivity of Sample 1 (350° C.) was 16.7, and the relative permittivity of Sample 2 (450° C.) was 14.7.

As described above, the In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide semiconductor layers were formed with use of an oxygen-excess target and a sputtering gas mixed with oxygen, from which oxygen vacancies and a substance including a hydrogen atom which induce carriers were removed. Such In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide semiconductor layers have high relative permittivity.

Note that since the amount of hydrogen to be removed increases with an increase in heating temperature, carriers in the oxide semiconductor layer which is subjected to heat treatment at higher temperature should be reduced more largely. However, according to this example, the oxide semiconductor layer which was subjected to heat treatment at higher temperature had the lower relative permittivity than the other oxide semiconductor layer. Moreover, the relative permittivity tends to decrease with an increase in crystallinity of the oxide semiconductor layer. Thus, a structure of the oxide semiconductor layer was changed depending on the temperature of the heat treatment, which was considered as the reason why the relative permittivity in the case of employing the higher heating temperature was lower.

In other words, it was considered that the oxide semiconductor was changed from an amorphous structure to a crystalline structure by performance of heat treatment at 450° C. for one hour, which resulted in a decrease in the relative permittivity.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application serial no. 2009-286234 filed with Japan Patent Office on Dec. 17, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 

1. (canceled)
 2. A semiconductor device comprising: a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer; a channel protective layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; a pair of electrodes over and in electrical contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, wherein the pair of electrodes are provided over a portion of the channel protective layer; an insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the channel protective layer and the pair of electrodes, wherein a relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or higher than
 13. 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer contains indium, gallium and zinc.
 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or lower than
 70. 5. A semiconductor device comprising: a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer; a channel protective layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; a pair of electrodes over and in electrical contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, wherein the pair of electrodes are provided over a portion of the channel protective layer; an insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the channel protective layer and the pair of electrodes, wherein a relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or higher than
 14. 6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer contains indium, gallium and zinc.
 7. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the relative permittivity of the oxide semiconductor layer is equal to or lower than
 70. 